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With the Oscars in the rearview mirror and the Grammys a distant memory, it's time to get back into the habit of watching what we really love on television: Competition-based reality shows that feature some of our favorite celebrities. The new season of "The Celebrity Apprentice" premieres this Sunday (March 6), and Monday night's (February 28th) episode of "The Bachelor" will feature the unveiling of the cast the next season of "Dancing With the Stars" (which will kick off on Monday, March 21). The cast of "The Celebrity Apprentice" is particularly crazy this year, as it includes the likes of Gary Busey, Meat Loaf, Lil Jon, Mark McGrath, a handful of attractive women and at least one "Real Housewife." It promises to be an incredible series that features some of the most awesome celebrity meltdowns this side of Charlie Sheen.

But the "Dancing With the Stars" cast is always a tougher nut to crack. Nobody can be too crazy, and everybody involved has to be at least halfway convincing as a hoofer. That's why the dozen stars involved in the show always seem to fall into archetypes. There's always an athlete or two, a music star on the off-cycle, an old person, a few reality stars looking to branch out and a handful of wild cards. There are already rumors about who will be on the show, including actress Kirstie Alley (probable), talk show host Wendy Williams (seems like a match), professional wrestler Chris Jericho (possible), former "Full House" star Jodie Sweetin (sure, why not?) and shamed former NFL quarterback Brett Favre (highly unlikely). Assuming one or two of those are actually true, here are the other stars that should strap on the shoes and shake a tailfeather or two.

Diddy
Since "Dancing With the Stars" launched, it seemed like Diddy would be a lock for the show. Not only is he charismatic and game for television adventure, but has also gained a reputation as quite a trendsetter when it comes to dancing. Unfortunately, he is still working to promote the grossly underrated album Last Train to Paris, so it's unlikely he would take time out to do such a show. But then again, what would be better publicity than being on a top-rated TV show twice a week?

Ralph Macchio
We know that the star of "The Karate Kid" can paint fences, wash cars and pull off that killer crane kick, but can he knock out a convincing cha-cha? Macchio has made it clear he wants to stay out of the public eye, but it's been way too long since Daniel-San has been part of our lives.

Ray Lewis
With labor trouble brewing among the NFL team owners and the players' union, it could be an awfully long time before the men of the gridiron get back to the business of hitting each other. What better way to stay in shape than on a show that requires so much intense physical activity? The show usually errs on the side of friendly goofballs (Emmitt Smith, Chad Ochocinco), but drafting the meanest dude in professional football would make for some quality television.

Amber Portwood
The breakout star of MTV's "Teen Mom" really needs another outlet, and "Dancing With the Stars" seems to be a great place for MTV phenoms to flex their new-found fame (such was the case with Audrina Patridge and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino last season). Plus, she seems like she could be a sleeper pick who could make a bit of noise in the competition.

Eliza Dushku
Boyfriend and retired basketball great Rick Fox already competed on the show (and was robbed last season), so why shouldn't Dushku — a beautiful, physical star currently without an outlet — get in on the act? She showed that she has some dancing skills on a notorious episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," so who's to say that she couldn't take the whole thing?

Emilio Estevez
Because now that "Two and a Half Men" is shut down, television needs a Sheen (or in this case an Estevez).

Who would you like to see on this season (or a future season) of "Dancing With the Stars"? Let us know in the comments!

Tags dancing with the stars

I probably took more than anybody could survive. ... I was bangin' seven-gram rocks and finishing them because that's how I roll, because I have one speed, one gear. [I survived] because I'm me. I'm different. I have a different constitution, I have a different brain, I have a different heart. I got tiger blood, man. Dying's for fools, dying's for amateurs."

-Veteran television actor and tabloid fodder Charlie Sheen, explaining not only his drug use but also how he managed to come out of such drug use alive. In a pair of interviews (one granted to NBC's "Today," the other to ABC's "20/20," part of which aired on Monday morning (February 28th) on "Good Morning America"), Sheen tried to set the record straight about his health, hit current feud with "Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre and the statements he made in the press last week that lead to CBS shutting down the remainder of the season of the top-rated comedy show on television.

In the midst of all of his explanations, he also unleashed some incredible philosophy. "I'm tired of pretending like I'm not special," Sheen said of his position of power on television. "I'm tired of pretending like I'm not bitching, a total fricking rock star from Mars, and people can't figure me out; they can't process me. I don't expect them to. You can't process me with a normal brain." Sheen said that even though he is the most-paid actor on television (earning nearly two million dollars per episode of "Two and a Half Men"), he'll still need more to come back to the program.

Regardless of his current state, Sheen declared that he is not done partying — nor will he ever be. "What's not to love?" he said. "Especially when you see how I party. It was epic. The run I was on made Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, Richards all of them look like droopy-eyed armless children. ... I am on a drug, it's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it once you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."

Tags charlie sheen, Quote

At this point, it shouldn't be at all surprising that Lady Gaga has produced yet another visually arresting, jaw-droppingly vivid music video. The clip for "Born This Way" (the first single from the album of the same name) premiered on Monday morning (February 28th), and it's just as incredible as her previous work.

The clip opens with an extended narrative introduction (voiced by Gaga herself) that explains the story of a cosmic birth, a new race and the creation of good and evil. It's perhaps the most vital part of the video, as there are psychedelic colors, the suggestion of space fetuses, lots of severed heads and at least one machine gun.

Once the song starts, things become slightly more conventional (though because it's Gaga, that's a very relative term). Clad in little more than a black bikini, Gaga shuffles and gyrates through the song, moving and writhing among her back-up dancers until they eventually consume her in a sea of bodies. There is also a scene of her dressed in elaborate zombie makeup (think Michael Jackson's "Thriller," but infinitely more complicated — and scary) as well as some images of a unicorn (just for good measure). It's a trippy, colorful, typically Gaga experience, and it will easily stand next to her excellent collection of music videos.

But which of those images will be the one you remember best? Is it the extended introduction, featuring the elaborate "space birth"? Maybe it's the scene of "Evil Gaga" shooting off a machine gun? Is it the "Zombie Gaga" sequence? The severed heads? Or maybe you just really like the unicorn? Whatever you think, vote in the poll below and leave your thoughts about "Born This Way" in the comments!

Tags Lady Gaga, Poll

Anybody who stuck around to the bitter end of the Academy Awards broadcast on Sunday night (February 27) got a special treat during the show's last act. After the producers of "The King's Speech" thanked all of their supporters following that film's victory in the Best Picture category, hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco threw to the PS22 Chorus, a group of fourth and fifth graders who became a viral video hit for their beautiful, soulful takes on current pop songs (they have tackled everything from Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" to Katy Perry's "Firework"). They closed out the Oscars with a performance of the classic tune "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which was a perfect way to end a dreamy, magical night celebrating the movies.

MTV News first met the PS22 Chorus back in the summer of 2009, when Sway paid a visit to the Staten Island, New York school to chat with the kids and get some background from the group's founder and director Gregg Breinberg (who is known better in most circles as "Mr. B"). The kids treated Sway to some top-shelf performances and gave him a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most incredible musical phenomenons on the Internet.

At the time, the group was most excited to meet Rihanna and get endorsements from Perez Hilton. But since then, they have gotten co-signs from the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, and now that they have performed in front of the huge television audience that the Oscars brings in every year, they're bound to have gained new fans. As you can see in the video, the kids always seem to be happy just singing the songs, but they don't mind the benefits either. "[Mr. B] motivates us, because after we do everything, all the work, we always get rewarded at the end," fifth-grader Justin Restrepo told Sway. "We met Rihanna. How many kids like us, our age, got to meet her?"

What did you think of PS22's show closing performance at the Oscars? Let us know in the comments!

Tags oscars, PS 22, video

Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Perhaps the most important aspect of Oscar night isn't the show itself (though that is certainly the reason why Hollywood's top stars descend on the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles) is the series of parties that follow the show. And among those parties, the most important one is the fete thrown every year by Vanity Fair, which welcomes only top tier stars into its bosom. So it was no surprise that Justin Bieber (who has sold millions of albums around the world and whose film "Never Say Never" continues to rake in big bucks) was one of the more celebrated names on the guest list on Sunday night (February 27). He grabbed more headlines when he walked into the party holding the hand of fellow teen star Selena Gomez, but the even more incredible photo snapped during the party was one of Bieber and legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. The singer (who has also been extremely active in the film world for most of his career) was once a young heartthrob himself, which made for an interesting generational bridge between the two.

They weren't the only stars making the rounds at Oscar parties, as most of the night's big names ended up raising a glass in celebration of another successful Academy Awards. Click here for more photos from the Oscar afterparties, including Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent, Steven Tyler, Madonna and Christian Bale!

Tags Justin Bieber, mick-jagger, oscars, photo, Selena Gomez, Spotted!, the-rolling-stones, vanity fair

Really, you should be listening to music every day, but thanks to Twitter, Monday has become the best day of the week to discover new songs, show some love to the tune currently dominating your iPod playlist and quietly judge the listening habits of your closest friends. Yes, it's #MusicMonday, one of Twitter's most enduring trending topics. Hence "MTV News' #MusicMonday," a weekly look at the songs we are currently crushing on.

This week, the National make feeling bad feel so good.

Anybody can be loud, but being quiet is something a little more delicate. Brooklyn indie brooders the National have made an art out of building razor-sharp, laser-guided bits of rock into savage storms of restrained catharsis. Their latest album, 2010's High Violet, is their best and most delicate yet, full of buzzing bass and echo-filled guitar squalls that provide an uneasy body of water for frontman Matt Berninger's life raft of a baritone. Songs like the chiming "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and "Conversation 16" are full of surreal lyrics and seemingly unimpeachable darkness.

But the highlight of most National songs comes when the bit of light sneaks through all the gloom. The band has a knack for twisting their swirling melodies into quiet little anthems, turning otherwise dreary turns into glimmers of hope. Such is the case with "Terrible Love," which seems like a downer but is actually a deceptively sharp #MusicMonday jam. Check out this live performance from New York City's Webster Hall, recorded for MTV's "Live in NYC" series.

What's your #MusicMonday jam? Let us know in the comments!

Tags #MusicMonday, The-National, video

Can you believe it's already March? One-sixth of 2011 is already gone, and in those two months there have already been some great moments on late night television (mostly thanks to David Letterman's embrace of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models and Jimmy Fallon's insistence on booking Odd Future and Bel Biv Devoe in the span of a week). There will certainly be more on tap moving forward, starting with this week, which features a number of great actors and killer musical acts. You'll get some of everything on "The Tonight Show," including Matt Damon and musical guest Cake (Tuesday, March 1), Simon Cowell (Wednesday, March 2) and Jerry Seinfeld (Thursday, March 3). Over on "The Late Show With David Letterman," the host will sit down with "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Monday, February 28th), "Red Riding Hood" star Amanda Seyfried (Tuesday), "The Celebrity Apprentice" host Donald Trump (Wednesday) and an incredible tag-team of Howard Stern and Naughty by Nature (Friday, March 4).

Jimmy Kimmel has another strong music week that will feature performances by Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding (Monday), Staind frontman Aaron Lewis (Tuesday) and Michael Franti (Thursday). Kimmel will also welcome Amanda Seyfried to the couch of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Wednesday. On "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," the other Jimmy will be bringing in the likes of Topher Grace (Monday), Motörhead (Wednesday), Miley Cyrus (Thursday) and Lupe Fiasco (Friday). If that lineup doesn't prove that Fallon has the most adventurous booking style of any late night host, then what does?

However, Conan O'Brien could probably give Fallon a run for his money, as this week's episodes of "Conan" feature Marisa Tomei and Fitz & the Tantrums (Monday), Chelsea Handler and Mavis Staples (Wednesday) and Emily Blunt, Martha Stewart and Taio Cruz (Thursday). And it's probably worth your time to tune in to "The Daily Show" on Monday, as Jon Stewart will chat with Howard Stern in what should be an interesting, engaging conversation.

Tags Conan O'Brien, howard-stern, Late Night, Talk Shows

Even if you weren't familiar with Jewel's music back when her debut album Pieces of You hit store shelves on this day in 1995 (and you probably weren't, considering her big single "Who Will Save Your Soul" didn't break until later in the year), you almost certainly knew her narrative.

Jewel Kilcher grew up in Alaska with her dad in a house that didn't have indoor plumbing (she used an outhouse) and often sang songs with her father in bars for extra money (it was there she learned to yodel). She made her way to Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan, where she focused on her guitar skills and began writing songs. She made her way out west and occasionally ended up living in a van while she played her songs in coffee houses and clubs. She eventually caught the attention of people from Atlantic Records, who signed her to a deal and paired her with producer Ben Keith (who is best known as the producer of many of Neil Young's solo albums; Young's band the Stray Gators, which featured Keith on steel guitar, backed Jewel on her debut album).

Pieces of You didn't make an immediate impact, but her story began to circulate and "Who Will Save Your Soul" picked up spins on radio toward the end of 1995. By early 1996, "Who Will Save Your Soul" had grabbed a ton of MTV airplay, and Jewel morphed into a superstar (even landing on the cover of Time magazine). Her debut album also spawned two more big singles in "You Were Meant For Me" and "Foolish Games," but "Who Will Save Your Soul" has the sort of rugged beauty that got her discovered in the first place.

Tags Jewel, video

Though it wasn't all that surprising (even in a night that was completely free of twists), the Oscar victory for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Best Original Score on Sunday night (February 27) was no less satisfying to the rock community. Reznor has been a part of the conversation since he founded Nine Inch Nails more than two decades ago, and he (along with longtime collaborator Ross) has come a long way since his early days.

(Click here for photos of the winners at the 83rd Academy Awards, including Natalie Portman, Colin Firth and Christian Bale!)

And what early days those were. Reznor's acceptance speech on Sunday night was low-key and humble (he sounded genuinely honored to be on the stage and thanked the Academy and his wife), but his public demeanor was not always so measured. In the early days of Nine Inch Nails, Reznor was notorious for lashing out at his own bandmates, his audience and especially his equipment (his philosophy was that if a piece of machinery failed, it deserved to be punished). In fact, MTV News was on the ground during the Phoenix stop of Lollapalooza 1991, where Nine Inch Nails played the second stage. In the midst of a performance of "Sin" (from Reznor's debut album Pretty Hate Machine), the summer heat melted some key components in the band's complicated stage set-up and caused regular power outages. After a few false starts, Reznor finally packed it in.

That Reznor looks like a completely different person than the one who accepted an Academy Award on Sunday night, doesn't it? Still, though he may be evolving as an artist (he and Ross will next tackle the score for David Fincher's adaptation of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"), for a certain segment of the population (like the people who crammed into small spaces to see Nine Inch Nails' farewell tour in 2009), Reznor will always be the guy who gained millions of followers by singing "I want to f--- you like an animal."

What did you think of Trent Reznor's acceptance speech at the Oscars? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Nine-Inch-Nails, The Social Network, Trent-Reznor, video

After thousands of potential contestants, hundreds of Hollywood Week qualifiers and far too many tears to count, the 10th season of "American Idol" finally has its field of finalists. This year, 24 singers — 12 male, 12 female — will compete for the coveted top prize on the show (though if previous results are any indication, everybody will likely be gunning for second place). Though there was concern that the new lowered minimum age would turn the show into a knock-down, drag-out battle between over-managed teens, the final field is actually one of the more eclectic in recent memory. Though they'll be clawing at one another for the spotlight (and, most importantly, audience votes) over the next few weeks, right now they are one big happy "American Idol" family.

(Click here for photos of the entire field of 24 finalists from the 10th season of "American Idol"!)

Though it's far too soon to name a front-runner at this point (Andrew Garcia can certainly testify to that fact), there are a handful of early favorites. "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello is already calling smooth piano-playing everyman Tim Halperin is a shoo-in to finish first. Meanwhile, Vote for the Worst has a pair of polls up picking the early "worsts" for both the men and the women, and the two lowest vote-getters so far are Karen Rodriguez (who has vowed to be the first Latina "American Idol" winner) and Jordan Dorsey (who certainly has the will to win, if not necessarily the vocal range). And there is plenty of online support brewing for outliers like Clint Jun Gamboa, Jovany Barreto, Julie Zorilla and Pia Toscano, all of whom should make an impressive amount of noise and turn plenty of heads as the competition rolls on.

But we'll leave that all-important question to you: Which of the 24 finalists will win "American Idol"? Vote for your favorite so far below and sound off in the comments!

(Click here for photos of the entire field of 24 finalists from the 10th season of "American Idol"!)

Tags American Idol, photo, Poll